Too heavenly minded…

I’ve been on a roll the past few days. I think that this is the most that I’ve blogged straight in a few months. I always have thoughts of blogging but don’t seem to find the time to get here to write them down.

Anyway, I was getting dressed this morning, and as I often do, thought to myself…”this could be the last outfit that I put on.” Now to some that might be incredibly morbid or negative. But in my mind, its reality. Death is real. Death can strike at any moment. There is no age, there is no socio-economic status, there is no stage of life nor level of health that can stay death. It comes to all because all sin, and that is the wages of sin.

As a believer I recognize that death is not something to fear. Death does not have mastery over me, no more than it has over my Lord and Master Jesus Christ who overpowered death on the third day after he died on the cross. And so I don’t have to be apprehensive about death. Death will serve to usher me in the presence of my Lord and God sooner than any victory or pleasure that this world could afford. I certainly don’t look forward to the process of dying or to whatever possible means there are of dying. I don’t need to fear dying either but the prospect of dying some horrible death is certainly not appealing to me. Whether it is death or dying, though, I know that I will soon be in the presence of my Lord.

Knowing that, I began thinking again…perhaps I should rather say to myself “this is the outfit that I could be wearing when I go to meet my Lord.” That is a much more encouraging thought. And as I was thinking of it, I was thinking through the remainder of my day. And why it is that I would only have such a thought as I was getting dressed.

Have you ever thought to yourself, in the midst of your day…”this is what I could be wearing when I go to meet my Lord.” Or else “this is what I could be thinking, saying, feeling or watching when I go to meet my Lord.” That is really where the rubber meets the road. That is what Moses prayed, that the Lord would “teach us to number our days.”

It seems that there is much wisdom to be gained by going into the house of mourning. I am reminded of a conversation with a brother just yesterday about the same subject. What difference should it make in our day to day, moment to moment lives to know that at any moment we could be face to face with our Lord and Creator to give an account for what we have done. What difference in our day to day lives should it make to think to ourselves “this is the last word that could roll from my tongue before I stand before the Judge of the Universe, the Holy One.”

Some would say that thinking about spiritual things too much can make you “too heavenly minded to be any earthly good.” I would say that in order for you to be or do any earthly good, you must be heavenly minded. For it is only in recognizing the brevity of your earthly life, the reality of heaven and the Lord of heaven, that you can truly accomplish anything of value not only for this life, but also for that to come. And further it is only in rightly apprehending the spiritual reality of God and eternity that you can live in such a way that you will not be ashamed at His coming or at your going.

Death

My cousin died this past weekend. Death never gets easier. As long as I live, separation – while I can comprehend from a theological perspective – will always cause grief. It is inescapable. We all grieve in different ways and at different times…but we all must grieve.

My grief struck me today when I was at work. I was doing fine until I was reminded of something about my cousin. It was hard for me to hold back tears. He used to stay with my brother and I…I guess baby sit us, though we were all relatively close in age…at least he and my brother are not too far off. But he used to hang with us alot…we even used to go over my aunts house to hang with them alot. And he would play video games with my brother and I all the time…he even lived with us for a bit when we were all older. Strange what things you don’t consciously think about until separation occurs. Then all the thoughts come flooding back…because they are gone.

We were never really meant to be alone. When God created man in the garden he said that it is “not good” for man to be alone. I don’t think that he meant that solely with regards to marriage. I think that He never intended for us to face separation.

It is our sin that separates us from God and from each other. And that is why it is so painful. Paul said in I Cor 15, that the “sting of death is sin.” And that so because there is a punishment which awaits those who have never been reconciled with God prior to death.

“But,” Paul continues, “thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” My heart goes out to my family. And I pray for my family that they would also have my hope. My hope is in the Lord. It is not in long life. It is not in a good life – financially or otherwise. My hope and trust is that at the end of my life, my Lord Jesus Christ will lead me to victory, from the grave to the home of His Eternal Father in heaven.

Please pray for us. Pray that the Word would go forth on Saturday.

Responsibility

Most people simply do not want to accept responsibility. I was talking to someone the other day about their life, and it seemed that at every point this person was shifting the responsibility for the way that they are onto someone else. If it wasn’t some potential suitor, it was their parents…and I’m sure if I had allowed to conversation to continue it would have been something else. The one thing that I have continued to come back to with this person is based on the old definition of “insanity.” Insanity is doing something repeatedly the same way but expecting different results. Well, if you haven’t addressed the issue of your own heart before the Lord and how your heart has or has not changed based on your knowledge of Him; then you will continue to get the same results out of life.

You could, of course, continue to blame things on others and even to look to others to solve all of your problems…and rest assured you will continue to get the same results from life. Or you could turn to the One who is able to solve all of your problems…not just to meet your felt needs, not just to make you feel good about yourself…but to address your most basic need. That is the need to see your own personal sin.

You are a sinner. You have made choices in your life that you will be held responsible for. God will examine your life. Not the life of your parents, friends, co-workers or that person who wronged and hurt you so deeply all those years ago. You.

And you need a new heart. You need a new way to view life. You need a new mind with which to think about life and with which to make decisions. And what mind is better than the mind of the One Man who has ever made ever decision perfectly, without fail in accordance with the will of His Father who is in Heaven? What better life to imitate…not just imitate, but to be forever and intimately identified with and molded to than the One whose life could not be held in the grave because it was so pleasing to God?

Which path will you take? The path wherein your life continues to be in your own control, under your own direction, in your own power and at whose end is only death, misery and condemnation. Or, the path wherein your life is crucificed, the path wherein your life is reborn, the path wherein you are no longer enslaved to your former lusts to do the will of the flesh, leading to death but wherein you are enslaved to the will of God to do righteousness. Furthermore, it is the path which has already been trodden for us. It involves tears, not of disobedience and shame, but of obedience and glory. It is the path which accepts responsibility and penalty of its own sin; but also trusts in the Gracious One who made payment for our sin for the glory of God and our good.

Psalm 11 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 11)

God loves righteousness.  For the Psalmist says “The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.  The Lord test the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.   Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.  For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.”

There are so many themes that repeat throughout the greater part of the Psalms.  None are more striking to me than that of God’s love for righteousness and hatred of wickedness.

What are we to say about these things?  For there are many who would claim God’s unconditional love without condition.  God’s love is not unconditionally unconditional.  His love does cost a great deal.  For He has not spilled His own Son’s blood for naught.  He has not slain His only Son without reason.  The condition of God’s love is the blood of His own Son to bring effect to His love.

After all, His love would not be known without His sending of His Son.  And the sending of His Son would have no effect if His Son did not first shed His blood.  And the blood of His Son is necessary because of His perfect love for righteousness.  Because He loves righteousness, anything that is not righteous cannot abide, it cannot remain.

His love for righteousness compels Him to act decisively against unrighteousness and wickedness.  Since unrighteousness and wickedness are not entities of themselves, but acts of rebellion from His creation; God must punish the wicked and unrighteous for every act of disobedience that does not align with the righteous standard of His Son.  The life of His Son is the standard for judging unrighteousness, the payment for its penalty and the basis for new life granted to those who believe.  Were the life of His Son not lived and given as the penalty for wickedness, we would have no concept nor understanding of God’s love.

God’s love for us is not as our love for each other.  [In that sense, certainly it is without condition; for God lacks nothing and even if He did (which is a ridiculous statement), there would be nothing that we could give Him that would benefit Him because the least of what He has is infinitely greater than the greatest that we could give.  We being sinners and Him being perfect in every respect and without want or blemish.]  We love each other, often, for what we feel we will receive.  We are benevolent toward each other for the good that we feel in ourselves or for some praise that others give us on its account.  We rarely love without strings attached.

God’s love was costly.  His love cost Him a great deal more than it could have cost us.  Namely because we were already starting in the red.  We already had a great debt toward Him.  But He overlooked that debt and granted us not only pardon from the debt but also grace upon that grace, the inheritance of a relationship with His Son, to rule with Him, to receive an inheritance with Him when His Son returns to reclaim His kingdom on this earth.

We dare not say that God’s love is totally free.  It is unconditional, but it was costly.  To those who are without God in this life…those who do not know His love…those who do not obey His Son; all you may expect is His wrath.  If you do not meet the righteous standard of His righteous Son, who obeyed Him perfectly at all time; then you must only expect the wages of unrighteousness.  You must expect “snares to rain; fire and brimstone and burning wind [as your] portion…[for] the Lord hates those who love violence.”

But you who meet the righteous standard of His Son, knowing that you meet it only because it has been granted to you from God, that He has united you with His Son and that His Son’s blood has paid the penalty for your unrighteousness; you may take refuge in the Son.  You may rest in His grace…for He has promised that “the upright will behold His face [for] the Lord loves righteousness…”

In a little while, little children, His anger will be kindled against the unrighteousness and wicked of this world.  How will He find you?  Dare you mock the righteous for their trust in Him?  Dare you mock the faithful for their confidence in Him and in His Son?  Tremble in your hearts, let your laughter be turned to weeping and your joy to gloom.  For in a little while His anger will burn against you and you will not be able to stand.  You are standing at the precipice of His Almighty and insatiable Wrath and there is nothing to keep you from falling but His temporary Grace.

Don’t be a fool.  God is not mocked.

Suffering and difficulty

I won’t claim to have experienced the greatest suffering and difficulty that life may bring.  I know that I am far from it.  Sure I have had difficulty and frustration in life but I know that there are many others who experience daily physical, emotional and spiritual pain and even persecution for the cause of Christ.

But the more I think about it, I am becoming convinced that God intends for pain to act as a cleansing agent for those who are His.  We are not of this world.  We are aliens and sojourners.  But sometimes we forget this.  Sometimes we are persuaded to think of this life as our sole reason for existence.  We think of this world as our home and its joys as the greatest or best that there is…

But, beloved, God has promised us so much more than that.  He has promised us an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, unfading and which is reserved for us in Heaven, an inheritance which He has promised to keep us safe in order to receive, according to 1 Peter.  That is what we have to look forward to.   That is our hope.  We do not hope like the rest of the world that things will “just turn out okay.”  We do not hope against hope or hope in hope…whatever that means.  We hope in the eternal rest and blessing that is promised to those of us who are in the Son whom the Father has given all things.  We hope in Christ and His return.  We hope in the day that He ushers in Peace, Justice, Righteousness, Prosperity; the time where there will be no more wars, no more turmoil, no more uncertainty, no more tears, no more sorrow, no more sickness and no more death.  That time will not happen until after our Lord returns for us.  Therefore that is what we hope for.  We hope for His return and we look forward to it.  We have no other hope.   We have no greater thing to look forward to.

When suffering and difficulty come…do not fret…be not anxious, nor be afraid.  Think of it as the Lord’s way of continuing to prepare you for His rest.  If you are sick or dying, do not fear.  Think of it as the Lord’s way of shedding you of your earthly tent so that you may finally put on your heavenly one.  If you are without…fill in the blank…in this life; think of it as the Lord preparing your heart to desire more the riches that are imperishable, not defiled by sin and everlasting.

Maranatha!

Do you desire rest?

I am tired.  I think I’m getting sick too.  Shame really.  I just missed the last family cold…I guess I didn’t really miss it, it was just lying in wait for me until it had run its course in the others.  Oh well.  I’ve been thinking about rest a lot lately.  Probably for the above reasons.  Why do we prize rest so much?  We do we prize relaxation and enjoyment?  Why do we work so hard for it?  Why do we think that we deserve it?

I think about Jesus’ life.  He worked tirelessly.  He hardly slept…and hardly slept comfortably I’m sure.  He hardly had a moments peace, with multitudes constantly coming to Him for healing and such.  He was constantly working with ill attitudes and misunderstandings from the crowds, the religious leaders and His own disciples (one of which was a traitor which He knew).

What about others?  Think about the “hall of faith.”  People had their possesions confiscated, were tortured, sawn in two, fed to lions, beheaded, crucified and other such things.  Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, persecuted beyond measure, imprisoned, abandoned and all for the sake of the gospel.  What have you had to endure?  Really?  What have you had to endure for the sake of the gospel?  I’m not talking about everyday, ordinary trials.  I’m not talking about those things common to men (believer and unbeliever alike – sickness, disease, financial hardship, loss of a job, family desertion, etc.).  Those things are not necessarily because you name the name of Christ.  Plenty of unbelievers suffer from these things.  What have you really had to endure for the sake of the gospel?  I think that those guys who had it much harder than we did, for the sake of the gospel, had a lot more of a reason to want to take it easy.  They had a lot more of a reason to want to slow down and take a rest.  But they didn’t.  They were not largely concerned with taking a rest now.

The reason why is because they were looking forward to something better.  They were looking forward to a greater time of rest.  They were looking forward to a greater reward.  A city not made with human hands.

Rest is promised for the people of God.  But not now.  Peace, yes.  Joy, yes.  Contentment, yes.  Rest…no.  Rest comes later.  It may tarry, but it will come.  And I believe that it will be so much sweeter to those who through trial, tribulation and distress have persevered with joy and love for God and the appearance of Christ.  Those of us who are lazy and sluggish, quick to seek recreation and rest in this life will not love the appearing of Christ; nor will they truly look forward to His rest.  Because they have their fill here, or at least what they think will fill.

You, beloved, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” whom we “eagerly await [because He will] “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” and “let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall…for the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword and piercing as far tas the division of soul and spirit of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do…[and] let us hold fast our confession…for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin…[and] let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  (2 Pet 3; Phil 3; Heb 4)

Psalm 2 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 2)

God is laughing hysterically about the state of our election process.  Why?  Our election process is for the purpose of electing someone to govern us.  We assume that this person will be able to govern us well and even that he (or she) will be capable of leading us (back) to a position of prosperity and prominence in the world.  We want him to lead us, to guide us in this life.  We want him to tell us how we ought to live…the very implication of governance.  However; this notion is foolish and laughable to God.  The Psalmist says it is a “vain thing.”

The Kings of Psa 2 “take their stand together against the Lord and His anointed…[so that they may] tear [the Lord's] fetters…and cast away [His] chords from them.”  Really what they are saying is that they want the rights to rule and govern themselves apart from God, their creator.  They want to make their own decisions about right and wrong.  They want to make their own standards of law and morality.  They want to write their own commandments to live by.  They do not want the Lord or His anointed sticking their noses into their business.

Regardless of how you slice it, or what spin you put on the political process; we are looking to elect a leader.  We (the collective that is the United States of America…and humanity for that matter) as a whole, do not want God’s governance over us.  We do not want His “chords” to entangle us.  We do not want His rules, His ways, His commands, slowing us down.  So we elect officials from our own ranks in hopes that this one will lead us in the right way.  What is the right way?  Our own prosperity and power.  Our national pride.  Our national identity.  Our way is the way of tolerance.  It is the way of sycretism.  Our way is the way of man’s right to choose and to determine his own destiny.  Our way is the right to free speech, even if that means slandering the very God who made us.  Our way is the disregard for God’s life for our choice.  Our way is the disregard of God’s design for our preference.  Our way is the disregard God’s boundaries for our pleasure.

But God has determined His ruler.  God has determined His Lord.  He has determined the One that He desires to rule over the nations.  And His decision is final.  After all, He is the One who “sits (enthroned) in the Heavens.”  His word shall endure.  And that One whom to whom He has given authority shall “break [the nations] with a rod of iron…and shatter them like earthenware.”  He will rule over them with a rod of iron until they are broken in subjection to His Lordship.  God will not allow us to rebel against Him forever.

Hear the warning “O kings.”  Take heed “O judges of the earth.”  Listen, o man, woman, child.  Do not put your trust in man. “Kiss the Son.”  Bow before the Son.  Worship the Son.  Obey and submit to the Son…”that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled.”

But you, who do obey the Son, you who submit to the Son and who await His return.  Rejoice!  Be of good cheer.  Rest in knowing Him, who holds all authority both in Heaven and on Earth; who Himself is returning soon to claim His rightful throne as Lord over all.  For “blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”